1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video cassette recorder (VCR), and more particularly to an automatic door opening mechanism for automatically ejecting video cassette tape.
2. Description of the Related Art
With conventional VCRs, a user can select various VCR functions such as power ON/OFF, playback, recording, stop, and the like, from a remote location by means of a remote control transmitter. In certain types of conventional VCRs, the user opens a VCR door manually and inserts a video cassette tape, and when ejecting the tape, also opens the VCR door manually and then actuates an ejector button.
The cassette tape inserting/ejecting mechanism of such conventional VCRs is described with reference to FIGS. 2-4 as follows. The cassette tape 20 is inserted and ejected through a cassette deck opening 11 in front of which a VCR door 21 is provided. Door brackets 22 are provided on both sides of the VCR door 21 for opening the door upwardly. The door brackets 22 are rotatably mounted on a hinge shaft 23 on which a torsion spring 24 is mounted, whereby one end of the torsion spring 24 is fixed on a main frame 10, and another end of the torsion spring 24 is fixed on the door bracket 22 on one side of the VCR door 21. One of the brackets 22 is provided with a hook pin 25 in the middle of the outer side thereof. The actuator lever 27, consisting of a door locking part forming a hook 29 and a button pressing part, is fixed on one side of an actuator shaft 26. Further another door locking part 36 forming a hook 37 is fixed on another side of the actuator shaft 26 so as to be locked by a hook pin 25 on the bracket 22 on the other side of the door 21. The actuator lever 27 rotates the actuator shaft 26, whereby the hook 29 is caught by the hook pin 25 on the door bracket 22.
As for the operation of the cassette tape inserting/ejecting mechanism of such a conventional video cassette recorder, when pressing the VCR door button (not shown) to insert cassette tape 20, the button pressing part of the actuator lever 27 is pushed inwardly so as to rotate the actuator shaft 26, whereby hook 29 is released from hook pin 25, and at the same time, the door brackets 22 are rotated upwardly by the restoring force of torsion spring 24, and thus the VCR door 21 is opened. Thereafter, cassette tape 20 can be inserted through cassette deck opening 11. When closing the VCR door 21 downwardly after inserting the cassette tape 20, the door brackets 22 are downwardly rotated on hinge shaft 23, whereby hook pin 25 pushes down the door locking part of actuator lever 27 by sliding down on the upper surface thereof, thereby being caught by hook 29 by the restoring force of a torsion spring 31.
In order to eject the cassette tape 20 from the cassette deck of the main frame 10, when pressing the VCR door button to push the button pressing part of the actuator lever 27 inwardly, the hook 29 of the door locking part is released from the hook pin 25, whereby the door brackets 22 are rotated upwardly by the torsion spring 24 so as to open the VCR door 21. Thereafter, when pressing the ejector button (not shown), the cassette tape 20 can be ejected from the cassette deck through cassette deck opening 11. After ejecting the cassette tape, when the user pushes down the VCR door 21, the hook pin 25 of door brackets 22 is caught by the hook 29 so as to close and lock the VCR door 21.
As described above, the conventional video cassette tape insert/ejecting mechanism has the drawback that the user must open the VCR door manually to insert and eject a cassette tape into/from the VCR.